Looking to 2017, Mason hosts Sweeney super PAC event at Hoboken home

Former Hoboken Councilwoman Beth Mason hosted a small private event at her Mile Square City home last night for the New Jerseyans for a Better Tomorrow super PAC, an organization associated with state Senate President Steve Sweeney’s (D-3) expected 2017 gubernatorial run.

“Senator Sweeney and I have known each other for a while and I believe in the same things he does. And this organization is all about things like minimum wage, preserving the Transportation Trust Fund, making that New Jersey is actually making itself [prepared] for a better tomorrow,” Mason told Hudson County View.

Mason, who also runs the Mason Civic League (a local non-profit), has been a generous donor for Democrats around the state for several years, making a $500 donation to then-Jersey City Councilman Steven Fulop back in 2009 – according to ELEC.

Since then though, their relationship has soured (Mason and her husband Ricky both donated to ex-Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy’s re-election campaign in 2013) and she has since developed a cozy relationship with Sweeney.

He and Fulop are expected to announce their candidacy for Democratic gubernatorial primary next June, but for now, only former U.S. Ambassador to Germany Phil Murphy has declared.

“We actually have quite a number of challenges, especially in our economic situation. So I’m here, obviously to support that effort and looking to many more down the road,” Mason added.

“This is about working on specific issues and really making New Jersey have a plan to move forward. And I’ve been doing that for a long time, I’ve been doing that for all my career. And we have a lot to accomplish for us to start now and make sure we’re going in a positive direction.”

According to their April 15, 2016 filing with the state Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC), New Jerseyans for a Better Tomorrow has raised $1,532,900.27 since their inception just over a year ago: May 5, 2015.

Based on an NJBT report filed with ELEC in January, Mason contributed a hefty $40,000 to the cause.

Sean Kennedy, a former senior advisor to Sweeney, is the president and founder of the super PAC.

On their official website, NJBT takes a shot at current Republican Gov. Chris Christie when discussing next year’s pivotal statewide race.

“New Jerseyans for a Better Tomorrow is a crucial component for turning back the anti-worker, anti-senior and anti-family tide sweeping across the country,” they wrote.

“NJBT will plan & execute aggressive persuasion and turnout programs to ensure Democratic voters are positioned to create a better tomorrow by turning the page on the Christie administration and electing a strong leader who will put middle-class residents, hard working men and women, seniors & families of NJ first.”

In contrast, the Coalition for Progress, a super PAC linked to Fulop, has raised $3,527,869.15 cents since July 1, 2015.

Only Hudson County View reported last month that some of those who have contributed to the cause this year have ties to Jersey City.

Coalition for Progress also received heavy scrutiny back in February for accepting an essentially anonymous $1 million donation from DE First Holdings late last year, a Wilmington, D.E.-based corporation that has almost no other identifying information attached to it.

While Fulop has not acknowledged if the super PAC will support a potential gubernatorial bid, he has previously admitted hosting a fundraiser for them and Scarinci Hollenbeck managing partner Donald Scarinci has said the initial monies raised for the entity proves Fulop will be the next governor.

Few household name politicos were spotted in attendance at Mason’s event, but state Senator Loretta Weinberg (D-37), former Jersey City Corporation Counsel Bill Matsikoudis (a rumored Jersey City mayoral candidate for 2017) and former North Bergen mayoral hopeful Larry Wainstein all made appearances at the function.

Nobody is more anti-worker,anti-family and anti-senior than Republicrat/Christie Buddy Steve Sweeney. Just yesterday he was gloating over the fact that his actions in supporting Christie’s move to deny retirees Cost of Living Increases was upheld by the Supreme Court. If you’re a construction worker, Sweeney is with you. Any other citizen can rot in hell as far as he is concerned. Mason can spout all the rhetoric she wants, but the fact is that Sweeney is nothing more than Christie’s delivery boy!

this woman couldn’t even handle a city council seat in a one-mile square city, gave up her seat after multiple failed attempts running for mayor. why should we care what she thinks about statewide politics? her husband is a rich lawyer, that’s the only reason sweeney gives her the time of day. no money, no beth.

Don’t worry, Beth Mason will catch up to the $1M donor level soon- let’s see, she stuffed $40K into Sweeney’s Super PAC in one ELEC reporting period, held a big bucks fundraiser at her 501c (3) address… when will we see how much that raked in? What’s the price on Sweeney’s Lt. Gov. slot? Does Sweeney know he gets the 2012 Move Forward Nazi Truck legacy as a bonus!

In 2015, Mason filed ANOTHER ePostcard return for her “Civic League” tax-exempt charity, for ‘small’ charities with less than $50K gross receipts/year. Her tax-exempt “Civic League” occupies 2 storefronts on Washington Street and has had political operatives on the payroll- her tax-exempt “Civic League” has to have gross receipts in the 6 figure range. The public will never know WHAT they are subsidizing because the “Civic League” hides their financial reporting behind a postcard. Their tax-exempt status should be pulled, and the “Civic League” should have to file a 990 long form AND AMEND past returns accordingly. Mason’s been running her political operation through the “charity” for years, hosting political campaigns in her “community space” and hiding it with a Postcard. All in plain sight of Hoboken taxpayers.

Will someone please free me from the bell tower of the Mason mausoleum. I had to listen to Beth and Loretta screech the whole night. They were complaining how they really deserved another shot to kill the hospital in Hoboken and bankrupt the city for “the greater good.”

Had to listen to the two bats tell each other how wonderful they are for hours.

In case you haven’t noticed, the Hoboken Hospital is on it’s last leg. Few patients, tons of empty rooms, doctors send most of the patients to other hospitals, and they no loger accept Blue Cross/Blue Shield or some of the other major carriers. Zimmer did nothing but prolong the agony and allow the value of the hospital property to increase. The sale of the hospital was always a real estate deal and had little to do with patient care.
I’m not a Mason supporter, never was, but if you’re trying to make your point use something other than the hospital to do so.

Are you sucking down bong hits? Mayor Zimmer did “nothing but prolong the agony?”
Wait, let me rephrase, are you smoking crack?

The hospital is running for five years without the tens of millions in losses annually.
Mayor Zimmer spared Hoboken the $75 million minimum in costs if it had closed in 2011 with $52 million in a bond guaranteed by the city. Hoboken’s annual budget is only in the low $100 million range. Even a crackhead should be able to do the math.

Taxpayers of Hoboken won’t pay a nickel whether the hospital succeeds for only another 5, 10, 20 or 50 years. It serves a lot of poor people and others with insurance like Blue Cross of NY, etc. It won’t bankrupt Hoboken no matter what happens down the road.

In the Zimmer world anyone who doesn’t agree with the Mayor must be affiliated with her enemies. You’re a moron, Mentsh Head. You do the math. Get the operating budget from the hospitl and then tell me that it’s healthy financially.
The sale was nothing more than a real estate transaction wherein the city sold valuable property at below market value to get out from under the weight of the bonds. Now the hospital owns all of the valuable property, will use it for future development and the city will still have no hospital.
Keeping a substandard hospital open serves nobody. It causes treatment to be delayed and is harmful. If you know anything about the hospital, you know that if you are really ill, they send you to a different hospital where you will find better treatment..

You seem to be skipping over the HUGE issue that if the Hospital went under with the city on the hook that taxes would have instantly skyrocketed to cover the bankruptcy. The sale of the hospital was key to take taxpayers off that hook. Whether or not the hospital survives and for how long is up to their owners. If and when it does close, the Hoboken taxpayers won’t suffer as a result like they would have.

Mason, Russo, and Cousin Terry were more than happy to blow up that hospital, let taxes explode and they hoped Zimmer would suffer the consequences. The 3 of those losers should rot in hell for that

Hudson County View is an independent media outlet covering news and politics for Hudson County, NJ, and all of its municipalities. Owned and operated by John Heinis, an investigative reporter, Hudson County View focuses on covering elections, public policy, lawsuits, corruption and all other things related to government and politics in Hudson County.